Reminded today of what has to be one of my all time great memories of high school.
August of 1981 or ’82, and it was near 100 degrees.
After school, the football team was on the hill practicing. They had us in full pads, busting hump for two hours of grueling fumble drills, laps, and tackle practice.
When we walked down to the school we were hot, angry, and demoralized.
Just when shade and a cool shower was within reach…one of the coaches directed us around the building. Told us to line up.
Now what??!?!
Reluctantly, we rounded the corner only to discover a front lawn filled with iced down coolers and about a thousand crisp, cold watermelons!
Coaches Gary Ann Walling, Kaiser, and Randall sliced huge, dripping chunks and tossed them at us even as we broke into a mad run.
Watermelon never tasted so good before…or since.